Wrinkles

I spend a lot of time thinking about trees as though their lives were like ours, even though it’s perfectly clear that they are not. For example, when I looked at this image in the studio, I thought this looks like wrinkles, like if you stay for too long in the water.

Now, the truth is I haven’t a clue why tree bark grows the way it does. But I’ll bet that folks who understand arboriculture would say that “wrinkles” is not the best way to describe this bark.

Does it matter?

OK, so perhaps I’ll decide it looks more like a topographic map of a particularly arduous route through difficult terrain. Or, maybe upon further reflection, I’ll decide it looks like some alien brain tissue, spread out for sinister reasons.

For me, the beauty of these explorations is just that – what it is is up for grabs! The ambiguity of the image allows it to be whatever feels right. We can each decide. And change our minds whenever we want. Art can be fun!